The ugly wart that Vargas Llosa left out

By Per Kurowski

June 14, 2006 | Alvaro Vargas Llosa published some months ago an article titled “Why The Left Should Cringe at the Mention of Hugo Chávez” where he gives a long list of reason of why the left should cut their links with Chávez, in an effort similar to what must be happening when the right looks to reassess their relations with George W Bush.

Though some of the evidences presented seems more debatable than other, specially when, even if horrible, they are turned into sheer peccadilloes by the fact that all sides of the political specter commit them, Vargas Llosa makes a clear and comprehensive case, though surprisingly he leaves out perhaps the most concrete and convincing piece of evidence that any prosecution could ever find.

Currently in Venezuela, after soon eight years of a “socialist” government, gasoline or petrol is sold at less than 4 cents of dollar per liter or less than 15 cents per gallon, compared to the 160 cents per liter or 640 cents per gallon, paid, with taxes, by consumers in Europe, 40 times more, 4.000% more. By selling the gasoline or petrol at 4 cents instead of the 64 cents he could get for it anywhere exclusive of taxes, the “Socialist” Chávez is effectively transfering 60 cents of dollar per liter to those “with cars” from the resources that could directly been used in favor of those “without cars” and, to make it worse, creates, at the same time, horrendous incentives against the environment.

The previous must sound as an absolute aberration of public policies for most people, especially in Europe, especially for the Left. How come such an ugly wart was left out when analyzing the actions of a dubious military ex coup-man, who, unauthorized, has decided to take cover behind the mantle of the Left? It is hard to say but sometime a wart it is so ugly you just have to look away... Please do not!